"Our candidacy is a victory for those who love Israel, and a victory for Zionist values and the Israeli spirit, which have championed an uncompromising battle defending the State of Israel alongside protecting human life, human rights and honor," Zonshein said.

The Courage to Refuse movement and one of its founders, Israel Defense Forces reserve Captain David Zonshein, have been nominated for the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize.

Both were nominated as candidates for this year's prize by two former winners: 1996 prize winner Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, a bishop from East Timor who led the struggle against Indonesian rule, and 1992 winner Rigoberto Menchu, who led a struggle for native Indian rights against an oppressive Guatemalan regime.

"Our candidacy is a victory for those who love Israel, and a victory for Zionist values and the Israeli spirit, which have championed an uncompromising battle defending the State of Israel alongside protecting human life, human rights and honor," Zonshein said.

"We see this as a victory for real Zionism, based on the principles of freedom, justice and peace," said Courage to Refuse director Arik Diamant.

"Particularly in these times, when the right-wing settlers announce their refusal to evacuate settlements, our candidacy marks a line between refusal to take part in actions that oppose Jewish and international law and ethics and refusal of the settlers - whose sole purpose is the perpetuation of control over another nation," Diamant said.

Courage to Refuse was established in January 2002 with the publication of a letter signed by 50 officers and soldiers who refused to serve in the territories and said they will defend Israel only from within its borders. The movement now numbers more than 600 reservists.